Child tax credit payments, Merkel's DC visit, British Open: 5 things to know Thursday
Monthly child tax credit payments set to arrive
Millions of families with children will see more money in their bank accounts Thursday as part of the newly expanded Child Tax Credit. Eligible families will get up to $300 monthly for each child under age 6 and up to $250 monthly for each child over age 6 but under age 18. The payments are the result of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus-relief package passed in March. The law extended the tax credit, boosted the amount that eligible families could receive, and provided for half of the money to be made available in monthly installments at least through December. President Joe Biden does plan to extend the Child Tax Credit expansion past that December expiration, senior administration officials said Wednesday.
- Concern for the poorest: Advocates fear payments could miss the most needy
- New child tax credit starts July 15. Here's what parents need to know
- Personal finance: The child tax credit can help pay bills, but don't keep spending once that money's gone
Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 Things podcast:
Biden and Germany's Merkel to meet at the White House
The president will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday in what is likely to be her last visit to Washington as head of state. The meetings will be far friendlier than the notoriously testy confrontations between Merkel and former President Donald Trump, who tussled over everything from NATO dues to the U.S. president’s Twitter taunts. Still, there will be contentious issues on the agenda. Among the toughest: the split between the U.S. and Germany over Nord Stream 2, the gas pipeline that would run from Russia to Germany and that U.S. fears will give Moscow increased leverage over Europe. A senior administration official said Biden will raise his objections over the pipeline with Merkel and press her on "the importance of developing concrete mechanisms to ensure that energy is not used as a coercive tool against Ukraine" or other allies.
- Biden, Merkel at the G-7: What we learned from the summit in Cornwall
- Overseas, Biden hails an America 'that's back.' Allies wonder for how long
Britney Spears wins right to choose own lawyer in conservatorship case
Britney Spears' efforts to end her 13-year conservatorship continue Thursday, but with one major development: She now has an attorney of her own choosing. A judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday granted the pop star's request to hire Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor-turned-skilled litigator. During the hearing, Spears dialed in and said that she wanted to press charges for abuse. Hours later, she posted a video on Instagram riding a horse and doing cartwheels with a caption thanking her fans, using the hashtag #FreeBritney: "You have no idea what it means to me [to] be supported by such awesome fans !!!!"
- Opinion: Spears' new lawyer must reverse her 'civil death'
- Britney Spears posts viral #FreeBritney hashtag: How fans hope to help conservatorship battle
- 'This is a violation of human rights!': Madonna backs Britney Spears in fiery post
NFL's Richard Sherman to appear in court after arrest near Seattle
NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of "Burglary Domestic Violence" as well as charges of resisting arrest and malicious mischief in the state of Washington, is expected to make his first court appearance Thursday, according to multiple reports. A judge will determine if there is probable cause to believe that Sherman committed a crime. The judge could set bail or order that Sherman be released. The Redmond Police Department said officers responded to a report Wednesday of an in-progress burglary and found Sherman "attempting to force entry into a family member's home." Sherman then attempted to walk away when notified he would be arrested and "physically resisted" officers. In a 911 call, obtained by Seattle radio station KIRO, Sherman's wife Ashley Moss said the star NFL player had been drinking and was threatening to harm himself.
- Previous coverage: Richard Sherman plans on playing two more NFL seasons before retirement
- NFL free agent tracker 2021: Sherman is a free agent after playing in San Francisco the last three seasons
British Open tees off, one year after COVID cancelation
The 149th British Open began Thursday morning at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, southern England, the sixth and final major of the 2020-21 PGA Tour season. The tournament returns a year after it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In some respects, this British Open will feel as though golf has returned to normal. There will be some 30,000 fans roaming the Sandwich links daily from Thursday, the biggest golf crowd at a major since the pandemic. There's one major difference: Players are being kept in a strict bubble to comply with COVID-19 restrictions and are at risk of disqualification for breaching rules.
- Potential mighty challenge: The British Open is back, along with the quirks of links golf
- 2021 British Open odds: Matchup picks and predictions
- Golfweek coverage: Dustin Johnson sets a wedding date, returns to No. 1 and site of one of his epic major meltdowns
Contributing: The Associated Press